No Good Deed Goes Unpunished
by BibereVenenumInAuro
Summary: Just a rootin tootin zombie shootin helluva good time ( So not good at summaries... grr)
1. Chapter 1

**NORAH POV:**

My heart pounded as I raced through the cornfield. Covered in blood and out of ammo, my only chance was to run, and run fast. I heard them all around me, hissing, shuffling, and moaning, but I knew that I was not going to die today. I pulled my knife from its sheath and began to run as fast as my legs could carry me. I emerged on the other side, never slowing my pace. I cut down a walker, stabbing it through the eye before slitting its throat, coating myself in its hot thick blood. I arrived in a clearing and searched for anyone around, no one, as per usual. I scaled a tree waiting for the herd of walkers to pass me by. There were a few stragglers in the clearing when I climbed down. I killed them easily and headed off in search of a place where I could tend to my wounds.

After miles of hunting, I finally found an old prison that looked relatively free of walkers, oddly enough. I found a small patch of weak fence and crawled underneath of it, killing the walkers around that section. I made my way towards the entrance of the prison. I had lost a good amount of blood, despite my make-shift bandage. I stumbled along, I knew that I had to find shelter before I passed out or I would die. I took long pauses but was making pretty good progress. Suddenly I felt the cold blade of a knife against my throat. "You bit?" A gruff masculine voice asked. "No, stabbed. Barn collapsed on me, I got impaled." I replied with a lot of effort. "Why are you covered in walker blood?" "Camouflage, couldn't have made it this far without it." The knife drew away and I heard it sheath. "Come with me." The voice demanded. I turned and saw a greasy looking dark haired man holding a crossbow. I followed him at the best speed I could, each step becoming harder to manage. He led me into the prison to a cleared cell block and instructed me to sit. I was reluctant, but he forced me down into the chair. Convinced I was safe, I tried to look over my wounds, but I must have passed out.


	2. Chapter 2

**DARYL POV**

She looked like hell. Her shoulder length dark hair was matted with blood and there were sticks all through it. She had a crude bandage around her ribs that was doing little to stem the bleeding. I thought she was a walker when she first came into the yard, her movements were jerky and uncoordinated, but it soon became apparent that she was on a mission. When I got close to her I realized that she was in really bad shape. I snuck around behind her and held a knife blade to her throat. "You bit?" I asked. Her body tensed, she was trying to decide whether or not she could fight me off. "No, stabbed. Barn fell on me and I got impaled." She answered as steadily as she could but I knew she was struggling to retain consciousness. "Why are you covered in walker blood?" I asked looking at the immense amount of walker blood all over her. She took a shuddering breath and responded. "Camouflage, couldn't have made it this far without it." I sheathed the knife and instructed her to follow me. She was having a hard time keeping up, but she was a trooper sticking with me and staying conscious despite the copious amount of blood loss she sustained. Once inside she was leary of sitting down, but I knew it was sit down or fall down so I forced her into a chair. Once seated, she passed out almost instantly.

Carol was the first to get to her, cleaning her, redressing her wounds, and redressing her. Hershel looked her over next and said that she would live. They doted on her, cleaning her, brushing her hair, treating her like she was one of us. She was lucky she found us, but I was beginning to see that the rest of us were lucky to have found her.


	3. Chapter 3

**NORAH POV**

I woke up handcuffed to a bunk bed in a prison cell. I was alert, clean, and safe, something I hadn't been in far too long. I examined myself. New clothes, bandages, stitches, and a can of chicken and a glass of water. The can was not opened, but I was starving. I stabbed the can on the rusty nail on the bottom of the bunk, opening crudely. I devoured it greedily, never missing a bite. I then moved on to the water, slurping it down, enjoying every sweet sip. I heard noises outside my cell and stiffened. The man with the crossbow stood outside, watching me with curiosity. "Hungry?" He asked, looking at the rather mutilated can of chicken. "Haven't eaten in days. Some sadist left this in here and didn't open it up." I said playfully, gauging his response. He didn't look amused. "Thank you." I murmured, combing my hair away from my face. "Don't thank me. Thank Hershel. He's the one who patched you up. If it were up to me I would have left you out there to be walker food." He said scowling at me. By the tone of voice and overall manner I knew that he was trying to portray a hardass-tough-guy, I recognized the guise easily because I was familiar with it myself. "You know I'd be a lot more apt to believe this whole 'tough guy' thing if you weren't the guy who literally just saved my ass and contradicted himself." I said nonchalantly, shrugging my shoulders. I adjusted the rather impractical floral dress I now found myself in. I watched him out of the corner of my eye, his scowl deepened and he shook his head in irritation. "You don't know shit about me woman, and you'd do good to remember that. If I hadn't seen how you handled yourself out there I would've just killed you myself. You know how to handle yourself, the way you camouflaged yourself to the walkers and kept your wits about you even with your blood loss. You're a tough bitch, that might come in handy." I could tell that I had touched a sore spot, so instead of pressing my luck I sat in silence and took the time to analyze him.


	4. Chapter 4

**DARYL POV**

I had been her guard that night, she stayed unconscious all night and was finally beginning to wake up. Her eyes fluttered open and she immediately began to assess her situation. She looked around the whole room before her eyes landed on the can of chicken. I realized that I had forgotten to open it, but that didn't seem to deter her. She slammed it into a rusty nail on the bottom of the bed above her opening the can crudely. I moved a little drawing her attention. She froze mid bite. "Hungry?" I asked in amusement. "Haven't eaten in days. Some sadist left this in here and didn't open it up." She smiled playfully. I sat there analyzing her response. "Thank you." She murmured uncomfortably. "Don't thank me. Thank Hershel. He's the one who patched you up. If it were up to me I would have left you out there to be walker food." I said picking at a hole in my shirt. "You know I'd be a lot more apt to believe this whole 'tough guy' thing if you weren't the guy who literally just saved my ass and contradicted himself." She tilted her head to the side, a slight smile playing at her lips. "You don't know shit about me woman, and you'd do good to remember that. If I hadn't seen how you handled yourself out there I would've just killed you myself. You know how to handle yourself, the way you camouflaged yourself to the walkers and kept your wits about you even with your blood loss. You're a tough bitch, that might come in handy." I spat angrily. I didn't like being profiled, and certainly not by an absolute stranger, and all the worse, she was right. I was certain I had offended her, she sat quietly for several minutes after that.


	5. Chapter 5

**NORAH POV**

He was a handsome guy in his mid to late thirties, his face was partially hidden behind his long dark hair, he was very well built, and he had a quiet gentility that contradicted his speech. He was still angry at me, and I knew it was only because my assessment had been correct. I finally spoke after a long awkward pause. "So, who's in charge here?" He squinted at me. "How do you know I'm not?" He asked shifting his weight. You're in here guarding me. So either you have no problems, or someone else is out handling them." "God, you sure are a know it all." He said spitting off to the side. "Pre-apocolypse I had a dangerous job dealing with dangerous people, I learned how to read a situation easily." I laughed lightly to myself thinking back prior to all of this. "What did you do?" He asked seating himself across from my cell. "I was a med evac in the military. You have to be able to read people to know who is dangerous, and who you can trust. If I'm being honest, this new world is actually easier for me to live in. I don't have to work so hard. If they aren't shot through the head, they're trying to kill you." I said messing with the dress. "You have medical training then?" "Yep, and I know how to pilot a helicopter, and I have mechanical knowledge. It's part of why I have been able to live so long on my own." This damn dress was getting on my nerves. "Sounds like you could come in real handy out here." He looked up from the floor noticing how fidgety the dress was making me. "Beth is the only one here close to your size. She picked it out for you." "Well, I thank her, but I would kill for some jeans or a pair of shorts right now. I haven't worn a dress since I was about fourteen." I smiled and shook my head. "How old are you now?" He asked. I looked up and cocked an eyebrow at him. "How old are you?" He snorted. "Thirty three." "I'm twenty seven." I answered eating the last few scraps of chicken out of the can.


	6. Chapter 6

**DARYL POV:**

"So, who's in charge here?" She read things easily, I was stunned by what she could tell by simply watching. "How do you know I'm not?" I asked, coming off more suspicious than I intended. "You're in here guarding me. So either you have no problems, or someone else is out handling them." She seemed to understand the way people worked and used that to analyze a situation. Even so it was annoying that she was right. "God, you sure are a know it all." I said slouching down to sit in front of her cell. "Pre-apocolypse I had a dangerous job dealing with dangerous people, I learned how to read a situation easily." She responded laughing awkwardly. "What did you do?" I was running through possibilities and didn't like what her answer might be. "I was a med evac in the military. You have to be able to read people to know who is dangerous, and who you can trust." _Well, that's a relief, I don't have to kill her, and she has medical training._ "If I'm being honest, this new world is actually easier for me to live in. I don't have to work so hard to tell. If they aren't shot through the head, they're trying to kill you." She said shaking her head at her own cynicism. "You have medical training then?" I asked to reiterate what I had heard. "Yep, and I know how to pilot a helicopter, and I have mechanical knowledge. It's part of why I have been able to live so long on my own." She said proudly, fidgeting with the dress for the third or fourth time. "Sounds like you could come in real handy out here." I said watching her tug at the dress. "Beth is the only one here close to your size. She picked it out for you." I said, trying to hide the smile in my voice. She chuckled, shaking her head. "Well, I thank her, but I would kill for some jeans or a pair of shorts right now. I haven't worn a dress since I was about fourteen." She said with a huge sheepish grin. "How old are you now?" I asked, genuinely interested, she didn't look like she was even twenty years old. "How old are you?" She countered defensively, cocking an eyebrow at me. "Thirty three." "I'm twenty seven." She said, picking at the scraps of chicken in the bottom of the container.


	7. Chapter 7

**NORAH POV:**

"Why ain't you worried about being locked in that cell?" He asked after a long awkward pause. "I'm safer in here than out there." I said, motioning out the window behind him. He chuckled and raked his hand through his hair. "You've been alone since the beginning, and you're still alive?" "Yeah, I was with a group for about three days, then I realized that they were gonna get me killed. I don't play well with dumbasses. It seemed like none of them knew the first thing about staying alive out here. To be honest I left because I knew they weren't gonna make it and I didn't want to be around for that." He nodded picking at something on his shirt. "I know how that goes. My group here has gotten much better, they're all pretty decent shots now and they keep pretty level heads." I heard some noises from beyond my cell. The man watching got to his feet. "Rick sorta heads things around here, he's on his way to meet you." He paused frowning for a second. "I'm Daryl by the way." He said awkwardly. "Norah." I responded giving him a small smile. About that time a taller man with dark hair, and a boy that must have been his son, came up to the bars. "How's she doing?" The tall man, who I guessed to be Rick, asked Daryl. "She's doin' alright. She ate, and she's awake now, but goddamn is she a pain in the ass." He said shooting a playful look in my direction. Rick glanced back and forth between the two of us. "Well, Daryl seems to like you. How'd you manage that?" He asked with a grin. "My feminine wiles and abundance of charm?" I asked, my tone dripping with sarcasm. "More likely that you're honest and only a little bit of a shithead." Daryl responded dryly. Rick's voice took on a serious tone. "Is there any reason that I shouldn't make you leave?" "None, and I won't beg. I can handle myself, but I may have some skills that could be of some use to you." I said. The boy was staring me down, analyzing me, guessing whether or not his dad would let me stay. "What's that?" Rick asked. "I have combat and medical training and I am a mechanic. I was a military medevac." " I'll have to talk it over with my folks, but for now," he turned his attention to Daryl, "is she safe to come out?" "Yeah, she's good." "I'm Rick, and this here is my boy, Carl." He said unlocking my cell. "I'm Norah, Norah Jameson."

"Thought you liked it in there." Daryl said glancing sideways at me. "I said it was safer in that prison cell than I have been in a long time." I returned rubbing my wrist. Once outside of my cell I was able to check out the true nature of my injury. It would heal just fine, but right now even breathing was a struggle. I tried to hide it, but every once in awhile I had to gasp to get my breath. A few more people came out to meet me, and one very unexpected person. A one month old baby was among one of the first to meet me. Rick introduced me. "This is Beth, and she's got my Judith." I looked at the two of them. "She's so young." I said in awe. "Beth's not my wife." Rick said in embarrassment. "No, no, I meant the baby, a month or so?" I asked. Beth nodded. "Yeah, her mama died in childbirth." "I'm sorry." I said looking at Carl and Rick. "This is Carol, Hershel, Maggie, and Glenn. Maggie and Beth are Hershel's daughters, and you've already met Daryl." Everyone seemed very interested in me, they wouldn't stop asking questions. My answers weren't satisfactory though, and the group soon fell silent. "Anybody got some jeans I could borrow?" I asked. Beth laughed. "No, but I am sorry about the dress, it's all I had." "By the way, who changed my clothes?" I asked kind of awkwardly. "I did," Carol said, laughing at me, "I got to you before Hershel, so I cleaned you up and dressed you." "Thanks, you even brushed my hair didn't you?" She nodded. "Figured I might as well, I would have appreciated it in your position." She said. "Well I certainly do." I said with a small smile. "You should," Daryl quipped, "you look a helluva lot better than you did when you got here, you looked like a half dead teenage boy." "Well, you still look like a trailer park threw up on you." I said scowling. "Bitch." He muttered. "Pussy." I retorted.

The room grew silent for a moment while everyone looked nervously between the two of us. Once they realized it was all in jest, they laughed hysterically and the tension dissipated almost immediately. I kept stealing glances at him. I could read him for the most part, but I still wondered what was going on in that brain of his. He had been making arrows, and adjusting his crossbow for the entire time we had been sitting there, but he glanced up now giving me a mock dirty look. I flipped him off, and he smiled shaking his head.


	8. Chapter 8

**DARYL POV**

She got up and headed off with Rick, something about testing her skills. She had a petite, toned, muscular body, but it still had some feminine shape because of the wider hips and full breasts I watched her walk away, her dress swaying slightly around her hips. When she was out of the room Carol looked over at me. "So, spill, what's going on with the two of you?" She asked. "What do you mean?" "She made you smile Daryl." "So? What's your point, I smile." "No, you don't. She insulted you, you insulted her, and instead of duking it out you two grinned at each other." "She gets my humor, and you know I'm not likely to 'duke it out' with a girl Carol." I said, rolling my eyes at her. What was she even asking? "Do you think she's pretty?" She asked eyeing me suspiciously. "What? No! She looks like a fucking teenage boy." I said, my mouth falling open in awe. "I saw you staring at her!" She said angrily, punching me in the arm. "Jesus Daryl! Just try to be nice, ok? Do yourself a favor and don't screw this up dummy." She gathered the laundry she had just folded turning to head out the door. "Screw what up?" I asked, I was confused about what she was insinuating. She rolled her eyes and thumped the back of my head as she walked away. "You damn well know what I am saying Daryl." She called over her shoulder. What the hell did she know? _Sure I think Norah is pretty, but what has that got to do with anything?_ I thought to myself. I stalked around the prison for a while before deciding to go to the guard tower on watch.

She was out with Rick in the yard, testing her mechanic skills on one of our cars. It hadn't run in about a month, but she had it running in no time. It was comical watching her try to navigate her boyish world in a dress, I swore to myself that I would have to get her another one. I smiled to myself, watching her. As I felt the smile creep onto my face, I realized that Carol may have been right, Norah did seem to make me smile more than usual. I would have to keep my distance, it was now clear that I couldn't trust myself around her. _What is it about her that makes things weird?_ She was a strange mix, she was a sexy woman but was also a tomboy in her soul.


	9. Chapter 9

**NORAH POV**

After Rick had taken me out to the yard, he told me that he would give me a probationary stay, but I would be under Daryl's supervision, and would sleep in a cell. I agreed. Daryl was less than thrilled with the idea though. "I'm not a fucking babysitter Rick." He spat glaring at me. "Daryl, you are the one who rescued her." "Yeah, fucking serves me right for being decent." He snorted in irritation and gave me a dirty look. "Should have told you to go to hell and left you for the fucking walkers." He spat, directing his attention to me. I wanted to punch him in the throat, but I stayed quiet, returning the look. "Daryl, please? Her skills are valuable and this would be good, for everybody." Rick countered, pleading with him. Eventually he won. Daryl conceded defeat bitterly, demanding that I follow him to the watch tower, so I did.

We sat in silence for a long time, he refused to talk to me, preferring to sulk and brood over conversing. "You want to just spit it out already?" I asked in frustration. "Shut up! You don't know shit you stupid bitch!" I sat in silence letting his words sink in before I hauled off and clocked him in the nose. "Goddammit! What the fuck is your problem?!" He screeched. "I thought I told you, I don't play well with dumbasses." He scowled at me deeply, holding his bleeding nose. I tossed him a handkerchief and stared out across the yard. After more silence I apologized. "I'm sorry . I had no right to pry, or to knock your face off." He scoffed. "Can I take a look at it, see if it's broken?" He shrugged and obliged. "Nope, you're good." I said absent mindedly stroking his hair as I pulled my hands away. "Did you just pet my hair?" He asked incredulously. "I don't know, maybe." I said turning red. He chuckled shaking his head. "You are so fucking weird." He said touching his nose. "One minute you are punching me in the face, the next you're playing with my hair." "Yeah, I'm probably fucking psychotic, ok?" I said, still blushing. A heavy silence fell between the two of us.

After a long while he cleared his throat. "I'm sorry that I yelled at you. I was mad at Rick, and took it out on you." He said stiffly. "It's fine. I know how it goes." I mumbled as I pushed a piece of hair behind my ear, I was suddenly very irritated that it was getting long again. "I'm going to have to cut this soon." I mumbled to myself. "Why?" he asked "You like looking like an ugly young boy?" He asked glancing my way. "Yep. Keeps creeps like you attracted." I said laughing at his scowl. "I don't find you attractive." He declared defensively. "Yet you say nothing about the fact that I just called you a pedophile?" I asked grinning again. "You better watch it missy, you're still hurt, and I can still make you into walker food." I stared him down. He chuckled turning back to watch.

The silence was comfortable this time, not strained like before. He let out a sigh. "Mind if I ask what you're thinking?" I asked, watching the wistful way he was staring. It was like a movie scene where the protagonist stares dramatically off into the distance. "Humanity died, and sunsets are still beautiful." He said. I stifled a chuckle, shaking my head. "I won't tell." "Won't tell who, what?" "The group," I paused glancing over at him, "you know, that you're actually a soft hearted pansy ass bitch." I giggled, as he crossed his arms defensively. "Fuck off." He growled contemptuously. I punched him playfully in the arm. "I was only kidding Daryl." I said resting my hand briefly on his arm before standing to stretch.


	10. Chapter 10

**DARYL POV**

She shouldn't affect me so much. The way she played with her hair, the way she played with mine, the way she looked at me, the way her hand felt on my arm, I hated it. She made me feel vulnerable and stupid. I was not a man that was easily embarrassed, but she knew all the right buttons to push. She got under my skin in a way that couldn't be healthy. I couldn't let her in, I had to drive her away. But how? I was bitter, cruel, emotionally degrading, but she knew that was just part of who I was. I insulted her, she returned it, like some fucked up game of tennis. Everything I used on other people made her laugh. It didn't matter though, I would find a way, I always did. She'd run away in the end. She pulled me out of my thoughts, trying to sit without pulling her stitches.

She sat down beside me again, straining from the pain of her wound. She was one tough bitch, she refused to be held back by it. "Quite a bit of walker activity on the west fence." She said quietly trying to keep her voice free of pain. "Want to go check it out?" I asked, glancing in that direction. "Probably better. Might be the start to one of those herds, even this place couldn't stand up to something like that." So she had seen them too, alone, and survived. "You've seen them too?" I asked helping her to her feet. She protested at first claiming she was fine and didn't need my help, but I insisted. "Yeah, I covered myself in their blood, for camouflage, and climbed a tree, they barely noticed. That was just before I got here." I shot her a concerned look. "They headed North, away from the prison, I headed South, and made it here." That was reassuring. We called for Glenn and Maggie's shift and headed to the west side to check things out. Norah and I thinned them out, but I was curious about why they had gathered there in the first place. We examined the area before deciding to turn in for the evening.


	11. Chapter 11

**NORAH POV**

Daryl seemed to be retreating back inside of himself, and I couldn't help but feel like it was my fault. He seemed sweet, and he got my sense of humor better than anyone, but I couldn't help but feel as though somehow I pushed it too far. I was a little rusty on my people skills after all, considering I had spent a year and a half completely alone (with the exception of walkers and the group I stayed with for about three days).

We headed into the prison, Daryl was going to sleep outside of locked cell in case I tried anything. Once inside I got some bandages to redress my wound, I didn't want to ask anyone else to do it for me. "Daryl, could you look the other way for a second?" I asked , slightly embarrassed. "Why? What kind of evil scheme are you planning, criminal?" "I need to dress my wound, and to do that I have to get the dress off. Now unless you want to see me naked I would turn around." He smirked but obliged. "Who said I didn't want to see you naked?" He asked, the smile in his voice cocky and full of mirth. "You did, and I quote 'you look like an ugly teen boy.'" He laughed. "Yes, but as you pointed out, I seem to have a thing for teen boys." I dropped the roll of gauze. "Shit." I muttered. It skittered along the floor until it bumped into Daryl's shoe. He bent down and picked it up. I could hear the smirk in his voice when he began speaking. "You didn't have to make such an elaborate plan. If you wanted me to see you naked all you had to do was ask." "Shut up asshole!" I said in irritation. "Now give it here!" "How am I going to do that? You asked me not to look." "Just give it to me already Dixon." He laughed at my irritation before holding out the gauze, to my relief he continued looking away. "Thank you. Now, I am going to have to kick your ass tomorrow." I said pulling the dress back down. "You're good." I called to him, laying down on the cot. He turned back around still grinning. "You sure you don't need to come in here to sleep, there isn't a cot out there." My concern must have bothered him, because his smile quickly dropped away. "I have a sleeping bag." He mumbled. He tossed something to me through the bars. I caught and inspected it. To my surprise, and extreme joy, it was a navy blue prison jumpsuit, with pants. "Oh my God! Thank you so much! You found me some pants!" I exclaimed happily. "Yeah, don't mention it." About that time Rick walked by heading towards the rest of the group. "We're all gonna have some dinner. Do you two want to join us?" He asked glancing between us. "I'm in." Daryl said, turning his gaze toward me. "Yeah, that sounds good."


	12. Chapter 12

**DARYL POV:**

The two of us headed into the prison after checking out the West fences, we needed to do something about dispersing them, but we'd worry about that tomorrow. We stopped by Hershel's cell to get gauze and bandages for her wounds on the way to her cell. Despite Hershel's reassurances that she was not a burden to him, she had insisted upon dressing the wound herself. I locked her into her cell and sat down. "Daryl, could you look the other way for a second?" She asked sweetly. "Why?" I asked, deciding to mess with her. "What kind of evil scheme are you planning, criminal?" It was almost too easy to get her riled up, and I knew all the right buttons to push. "I need to dress my wound, and to do that I have to get the dress off. Now unless you want to see me naked I would turn around." She snapped in irritation, clearly not understanding that I was joking. I relented with a laugh, standing and turning to face the window. "Who said I didn't want to see you naked?" I asked, smiling and stifling a laugh. "You did, and I quote 'you look like an ugly teen boy.'" "Yes, but as you pointed out, I seem to have a thing for teen boys." I said laughing heartily at her. "Shit." She mumbled, I was just about to ask her what was wrong when something bumped into my foot. I looked down to find that she had dropped the gauze. This was going to be great. " Rori, you know you didn't have to make such an elaborate plan. If you wanted me to see you naked all you had to do was ask." "Shut up asshole!" She nearly shrieked in embarrassment. "Now give it here!" I couldn't help but grin, knowing how flustered and red she was becoming. "Now, how am I going to do that? You asked me not to look." I said with mock bemusement. "Just give it to me already Daryl Dixon." I kept my back to her, holding the roll behind me. When I felt her hands wrap around it I let go. "Thank you. Now, I am going to have to kick your ass tomorrow." She said, pouting like a small child. After a minute or two she gave me the all clear. I turned back around and regained my seat on the floor. "You sure you don't need to come in here to sleep, there isn't a cot out there." _Oh, that's fucking fantastic,_ I thought to myself, _she might genuinely care, that's just what I need._ "I have a sleeping bag." I mumbled out, trying not to seem so affected by her sudden compassion. As I rolled out my sleeping bag I found the prison jumpsuit I had found for her earlier. After seeing her try to manage with a dress I decided she needed some sort of pants and found a whole stash of those. "Oh my God! Thank you so much! You found me some pants!" She beamed at me. "Yeah, don't mention it." I said, scratching the back of my neck awkwardly. A heavy silence filled the room until the sound of Rick's footsteps resonated in the halls. He stopped on his way by turning back to look at us. "We're all gonna have some dinner. Do you two want to join us?" He asked, glancing between us. "I'm in." I said, happy to have a break from her. "Yeah, that sounds good." She said with a small smile.


	13. Chapter 13

**NORAH POV:**

The whole group seemed to be ok with my presence, Rick even asked me if I wanted to hold Judith. She was a very sweet baby, and very good. She hardly cried, they were lucky for that. I fed her, and within seconds she was out like a light, snoring quietly on my chest. "You're good with her." Beth said, taking her out of my arms. The loss of her body heat almost made me shiver. "I never was very good with kids, or small animals, or people." I laughed gently. "She is just a really good baby." I finished, returning to my food. Everyone was laughing and talking, around the small propane lantern in the floor. Somehow they were managing to pretend, for the moment, that things were good, that the horrors that waited just outside were but a distant memory. I couldn't relax though, not like them, I knew what waited in the darkness and cringed at the thought. I knew that my reason for being on edge was due to my military background, and that it had helped me stay alive time after time, but I still envied their ability to relax for a second. After a little while Daryl asked if I was ready to turn in. I consented, dismissing myself from the group, and we headed off back to my cell.

"Judith liked you." He said clicking the lock into place. I smiled thinking about her. "She's a sweetheart. I hear you have a nickname for her." I said slipping on the prison jumpsuit. "Yeah, I call her lil ass kicker. I guess I'm just hoping, for what it's worth, that it's true." We fell silent. "I like this group." I said after a minute. "Yeah, they're not that bad, and they do a decent job of keeping themselves alive." There was a long awkward pause before I got the nerve to continue. "Thank you, for getting me out of the mess I was in when I got here. Despite how I might argue it, I would be dead if it wasn't for you guys, especially you." I said, mentally kicking myself for the sudden display of vulnerability. "Despite what I might say, I am glad that you are here. You will be a valuable addition to this team." He paused. I smiled to myself, glad that I was with people again. "And I think, although I will argue it and deny that I said it, that I enjoy your company." I reached through the bars, touching his arm. Instead of pulling away, he moved closer. "I enjoy yours too." I said running my hand along his bicep. He reached through the bars and touched my face. I shivered at his touch and closed my eyes just reveling in the physical contact. "I can't get to close to you." I said gently, pulling away from the bars slightly. It killed me to have to do this. Never in my life had I wanted to be close to someone, this was the worst timing. "Yeah, I need to keep my distance, but I just can't seem to convince myself that this is a bad idea." He said, rubbing the back of his neck. He quickly followed suite and backed away from the bars as well, leaving the distance between us cold in comparison to the charged heat that was there just seconds ago. If the circumstances had been different, I would have killed for this opportunity, but as things stood, this opportunity would kill me. I knew there was only one solution to the problem of Daryl Dixon, I had to leave.


	14. Chapter 14

**DARYL POV:**

God this was painful. It was torture sitting here in the silence. We were too similar, I knew that she was trying to make an escape route. After what felt like an eternity, she finally spoke, drawing me out of my head and back to reality. "I think it might be for the best that I leave." My mouth almost fell open in awe that she really believed that. There was no way I was going to let her leave. "No, I should be the one. They need your skills a lot more than they need mine." "Daryl, that's bullshit and you know it." She said in defensive irritation, almost like she was offended at me for saying it. "You're a keystone in the survival of this group, just try to imagine where they would be without you." She paused letting her previous statement settle in, I guess she was probably right, I had helped them through a lot.

She began again after a long pause, her voice pleading. "I can survive on my own, I have proven that. If one of us is leaving it's going to be me, your place is here." I knew she was right, but for some stupid reason I couldn't let her go, I felt like I needed her. "Please don't go." I kept my eyes on the floor refusing to look at her, I felt so stupid and vulnerable, this wasn't like me. "I can't allow myself to get close to you, but since you're already here, I can't imagine letting you go. I know you'll do okay on your own, but I don't know how I could deal with that, especially knowing you left because of me. You need us, and we need you." I paused, that didn't say what I needed to tell her so I began again. "Hell, I… I need you." She stood in shocked silence for a second before talking to me again. "Come closer, please?" I kept looking at the floor, but bent to her wishes nearing the bars to her cell. "Daryl, you are the only person I have ever felt safe with. Even when we first met, you had a knife to my throat, but your voice guided me back to sanity. I don't want to leave, not this place, but definitely not you." She reached through the bars, her hand coming up to stroke my cheek. I needed this, I needed her, but I couldn't get close to her. She was going to die, and I was going to die, today or tomorrow or the next day, it didn't matter. I gently took her hand in mine, stopping her movements, I pulled it off of my face, letting it drop. Both of us moved away from the bars uncomfortable with what had just happened. "Goodnight Daryl." She said quietly from her cot, I acknowledged her with a quiet grunt before allowing myself to drift off to sleep.


	15. Chapter 15

**NORAH POV:**

"I think it might be for the best that I leave." I said quietly. "No, I should be the one. They need your skills a lot more than they need mine." There was no way that he was serious, he really didn't see just how important he really was. "Daryl, that's bullshit and you know it. You're a keystone in the survival of this group, just try to imagine where they would be without you." I paused, letting what I had said sink in. "I can survive on my own, I have proven that. If one of us is leaving it's going to be me, your place is here" We both sat quietly for a long while.

"Please don't go." He sighed rubbing his eyes, as if this conversation had thoroughly exhausted him. "I can't allow myself to get close to you, but since you're already here, I can't imagine letting you go. I know you'll do okay on your own, but I don't know how I could deal with that, especially knowing you left because of me. You need us, and we need you. Hell, I… I need you." My heart skipped a beat, my chest tightened and I couldn't breathe. This felt so right. "Come closer, please?" He shuffled over to the bars. I looked at him, flustered, reddening, and vulnerable. "Daryl, you are the only person I have ever felt safe with. Even when we first met, you had a knife to my throat, but your voice guided me back to sanity. I don't want to leave, not this place, but definitely not you." I reached through the bars to stroke his cheek. He held still, not meeting my eyes, and I knew why. Slowly he took my hand away from his face. I pulled my hand away and retreated back into my cell. I knew there would be no more conversation tonight, so I settled into my cot. "Goodnight Daryl." I said quietly. It was more to reassure him that I wasn't angry than to inform him that I was going to bed. He grunted his response, continuing to pace the small hallway outside my cell. I drifted off to a dreamless, fitful sleep.


	16. Chapter 16

**DARYL POV:**

The early morning sun began to light the eastern horizon, filling the hallway with soft warm light. She was so beautiful lying there, her hair splayed around her, her face relaxed and free from the worry that usually marred her features. I hadn't slept much the night before, how could I? I couldn't think about anything except our conversation last night, and it was killing me. I needed some space from her, but I would have to bring that up with Rick, considering I was babysitting her. I left her sleeping in her cell while I set out to find Rick. The first person I came across was Carol, feeding Judith. "Morning Daryl, where's Norah, she still asleep?" _First thing in the morning and she has to mention fucking Norah, that's just fantastic._ "Yep. She didn't sleep real well last night." I said looking around for Rick. "You seen Rick this morning?" She nodded. "Yeah, he left on a run. He said they needed an extra considering you were staying here with Norah." I groaned inwardly. _Great. There is going to be no escape from this girl today._ "So, how are things going between you two?" She asked, smiling slyly at me. "What do you mean? What things do you think are going on?" I asked in irritation. "If you're any kind of intelligent you'd try to get something romantic started with her. So I guess what I am asking, is whether or not you are going to pursue anything?" She said shaking her head at me. I gave a huge frustrated sigh. "Goddammit Carol! It's none of your business, and for your information, neither of us are interested in anything like that!" I said, storming out of the room. _That stupid bitch needs to mind her own business. Norah doesn't want me, and I don't want her, it's as simple as that._ I grumbled under my breath pacing around the cell block before I decided to go wake her up.

"Hey Norah, time to get up." I said, unlocking the cell. She rolled over, groaning. "Five more minutes Daryl. I haven't slept this good in ages." She said, hiding under her blanket. "Nah. I've been waiting on you long enough. Come on now, get up." She sighed heavily, peeking out at me from the blanket. "You're satan Daryl Dixon." She said pouting. "So I've heard." I said with a chuckle.


End file.
